Diarmuid Woodcock - Instagram Takeover

#ArtistTakeover | Diarmuid Woodcock | Day 1

Hey! I’m Diarmuid Woodcock (@diarmuidw_art ), a painter from Skerries and I’ve been so lucky to have a studio residency in Draíocht for the past few weeks! I’ve had such an amazing time while I’ve been here, and I want to share some behind the scenes photos of my practice and how I work.

I graduated from NCAD in 2023 with a BA in Fine Art Painting and have continued my practice ever since. Previously based in BKB Studios, I am currently in Draíocht before I move to Ardgillan Castle. My practice mainly focuses on rural and suburban environments, capturing quiet, intimate moments within everyday life and sharing them with others.

My plan for my time in Draíocht has been to navigate a more urban environment and experiment with how it affects my practice. For so many years, when thinking of Blanchardstown I thought of the shopping centre, so I wanted to use my time here to create my own connections and narrative of the area.

My first priority was to settle down and become familiar with my surroundings. I initially spent my time exploring and documenting the area outside the studio. In the studio, I began by unpacking previous work and having it share space with new, quick watercolours and playing with making mini zines of sketches from the studio window.

#ArtistTakeover | Diarmuid Woodcock | Day 2

Once I had settled in and grown more comfortable with the space, I knew what direction I wanted to go in. I was aware that I wanted to create a body of work that united three different areas of my life, those being my home, my practice and my work. Having the whole studio to myself really let me spread out and have the space and time to properly develop the work.

I knew the first set of paintings I wanted to work on would be a set of paintings that set the tone for the rest of the work. It needed to include my home in Skerries, my art practice in Blanchardstown and my work in Santry. During some of my many explorations, I came upon three separate houses in each of these areas that were practically identical to one another. Though each had their differences, they also had their similarities that enhanced their connection and would set the tone for the rest of the work.

Thanks to the amount of space I had in Draíocht, I was able to work on all three paintings at the same time. This came with its own challenge, namely swapping between paintings and working away without realising that I was no longer looking at the same reference image!

#ArtistTakeover | Diarmuid Woodcock | Day 3

Following the triptych, I still had time for a diptych… and another diptych!

The first set of paintings came from a desire to experiment and play around with more natural and architectural elements in my practice. Allowing nature to take a bigger role within my work, especially with the interplay of light and shadows created by natural features. It was really fun to work on, even if I still have a creak in my back from being hunched over working with the delicate specks of light.

The second diptych came from my initial wandering around Blanchardstown. These two caught my eye, mainly because of an imagined narrative in my head of cute, neighbourly affection. Separated by a not-so-vast road, there is something there that makes them work well together.

I’d like to just take a moment and say thank you for joining me on this artist takeover of the Draíocht Gallery’s Instagram. I hope you’ve all enjoyed this little sneak peek into my practice and thought processes. A major thank you to all at Draíocht for all their help and support over the past few weeks. It’s been absolutely amazing and I’ve had a ball of a time! ☺️

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Diarmuid Woodcock
Artist in Residence Draíocht
21 May-17 July 2026
https://www.draiocht.ie/gallery/artists/diarmuid-woodcock
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